Having an office in your own backyard is what life is all about. No tough commutes. No worries about pandemic related lockdowns. You get the out of house feeling while remaining in your own property. Everything about a backyard office is just perfect.
However, before you can construct your dream office in the backyard, there are a few things you should understand and consider before starting with the build.
1) Local laws and regulations
Most of us do not realize that to construct a commercial property in your backyard, requires permission from local authorities.
While you are building something in your own property, commercial offices or business activities usually require licenses and permissions. This is especially true if you will have staff and customers visiting your office.
Note that here we are not talking about simply creating a garden office with tables and chairs. We are talking about a proper construction that will require building a structure.
Hence the first thing that you should do before constructing a backyard office is to find out about local laws and regulations. Depending upon where you live, there could be various restrictions such as height of the structure, materials used, types of activities allowed etc.
Once you are clear of all legal requirements, you can safely start with the planning and construction of your office.
2) Power supply
Your backyard office will need electricity for running lights, fan or air conditioners, computers and other machines.
You should make a note of everything that will require electric power and then decide what kind of power supply you want for your backyard office.
A lot of people nowadays try for solar power. They install solar panels on the roof of the structure to ensure their office does not consume power from the grid.
However, depending upon the power consumption, solar power may not be enough. In that case your backyard office will need to be connected to the same grid as your home.
Also with solar panels and clean energy, you need permission to activate it at most places.
Hence you can plan what kind of power supply you want and then again look at local permissions required to connect to the grid.
3) Interior layout
In most cases, people will have just the four walls, the flooring and the roof constructed while the interior is an open space.
However, you may want a structure that can accommodate an interior depending upon your specific type of business.
Think if you want specific furniture built or you can make do with an open space which can be utilized however you want in the future.
4) Readymade or built from scratch
Nowadays, you can actually buy readymade sheds that can be simply placed in your backyard by professionals.
If you are good with building things, you can think of constructing the office yourself.
You can have professionals come and build your office or have it constructed at an offsite location.
There are a number of possibilities and you can decide about this based on your budget, skill level and specific requirements of what you want in your office.
5) Dual use
Some people may want to create a backyard office for work during standard working hours. However, they like to also use the space to unwind during the night or during weekends.
Think if you are that type and you want your backyard office for dual use. It is important to think about this before construction as then you can get your dream office built accordingly with provisions for it becoming your relaxation center as well.
6) Ventilation
It is important to plan out windows and good ventilation systems in your backyard office.
This is not just for sunlight and fresh air but it will be good for your office equipment, reducing power bills and in general have a nice, fresh mindset during work.
Final thoughts
If you have a nice backyard with the space for an office, by all means go ahead and build one. It is a dream to be able to have this extra space that is within your property but at the same time is separate from your main house.
If you plan things well, you could have an office that doesn’t just increase productivity but also helps you unwind after work.
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